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Tesla makes improvements to Model S electric car

Tesla Motors, caught in a lull between product launches, is going to try to keep the Model S electric car feeling fresh by improving upon it, CEO Elon Musk says. Best of all for some current owners, some of

Tesla Motors, caught in a lull between product launches, is going to try to keep the Model S electric car feeling fresh by improving upon it, CEO Elon Musk says.

Best of all for some current owners, some of the improvements will just show up without any effort on their part.

Tesla plans to automatically push software to the Model S fleet that will help the car learn the driver's habits and adjust to them. The navigation system will offer directions to locations that steer around traffic jams. Drivers will be able to name their car in the mobile app.

"There aren't many products that give people joy, and we want this to be one of those products," Musk told his shareholders at the annual meeting last week.

This year, Tesla is offering only the single model, the Model S that is EPA rated at up to 265 miles on a single charge, the most of any electric car. The company's next model won't come until next year, when the delayed Model X crossover goes on sale. Musk says the holdup has centered on making sure its signature design element, gullwing doors to make it easier to get in the rear, works properly and is leak-proof. "Getting the door right is extremely difficult," he says.

For those buying new Model S sedans, the car now comes with an underbody shield to protect against objects that might pierce the battery pack. "You can drive over a concrete block and be OK," Musk quipped. The additional shielding results from reported fires in two Teslas in the U.S. that struck objects. The drivers left the vehicles before the fires broke out.

The car now has optional power folding mirrors and sensors to keep the car from bumping into other cars or objects while parking.

Later this year, Musk says, Tesla will offer an upgraded driver's seat, addressing one of his pet peeves that the current one isn't comfortable enough. Tesla is also working on a self-driving feature for freeways that would work like automatic pilot on aircraft, although still requiring drivers to pay attention.

Musk says the electric fleet has now collectively traveled 344 million miles — and it has yet to record a single "serious permanent injury" or death in an accident. "That is certainly one of our proudest accomplishments," he adds.